Utility cart



July 5, 1949. s. w. COAKLEY 2,475,278

JVI-JTILITY CART Filed Aug. 21, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

July 5, 1949. G. w. COAKLEY UTILITY CART 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 21, 1946 INVENTOR. George W. Coakley Patented July 5, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates particularly to a general utility cart or vehicle.

Heretofore utility carts of the character described provided With all-metal bodies necessarily have had such bodies formed of relatively heavy material to obtain desired strength and durability, and for that reason have been expensive to manufacture particularly from a standpoint of forming-die and other production costs, and at the same time the carts have been cumbersome to handle in use. All wood bodies, on the other hand, have also been objectionable because of cumbersome weight thereof and an inherent tendency to collapse, particularly after extensive use thereof.

One object of this invention is to provide a utility vehicle or cart having a composite body of different materials, the resultant product being strong and durable, and yet being of relatively light weight, the improved construction also being economical to manufacture for the reason that the use of forming-dies may be reduced to a minimum or eliminated entirely.

Another object of the invention is to provide a vehicle of the character described having improved means incorporated therein for screening dirt, ashes or other materials into the same.

These and other objects of the invention will be manifest from the following brief description and the accompanying drawings.

Of the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a utility cart or vehicle embodying the features of the invention,

Figure 2 is a front elevation of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical cross-section on an enlarged scale, partly broken away, taken substantially on the line 3--3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross-section on the same scale, taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary cross-section taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a greatly enlarged cross-section, taken substantially on the line 6-4; of Figure 3.

Figure '7 is an enlarged fragmentary crosssection taken on the line 'i-'l of Figure 1.

Referring particularly to Figures 1 to 4, there is illustrated a utility cart essentially including a body Ill, a wheel assembly H mounted on the underside thereof, and a handle [2 for manual operation of the cart. The body II] is formed with spaced oppositely disposed side panels l3 and Id, of wood or other material suitable for the present purposes, and an intermediate concave member Illa of sheet material, such as steel, tin, aluminum, etc.

The side panels l3 and I4 may be shaped to have parallel straight top and bottom edges I5 and i5, and straight upwardly diverging front and back edges I? and H8. The intermediate member Illa may be correspondingly shaped with a flat central bottom panel H12) and upwardly diverging front and back panels [9 and 2B. The central member Illa is of substantially uniform width, the marginal edges of the bottom panel lob thereof overlying the bottom edges it of the side panels, and being secured thereto as by means of nails received through marginal side portions and into the plane of the side panels, as indicated at 22, 22 in Figure 3. The opposite marginal edges of the front and back panels [9 and 2i) are snugly received in elongated slots of substantial depth in the inner faces of the side panels, closely adjacent and parallel to the front and rear edges i1 and 18 thereof, as indicated at 23, 23, and 24', 24. The depth of these slots is such as to receive a substantial margin of the edges of the front and rear panels, sufficient to receive nails 25, 25 extending in the plane of the side panels from the edges thereof (see Figures 3, 6 and '7). For reinforcement and safety purposes, the top edges of the front and back panels may be headed or rounded as indicated at 26 and 21, the upper corners of the side panels being recessed as indicated at 28 and 29 to receive the ends of said beaded portions (see Figures 3 and '7). This composite wood and metal body construction is simple and economical to manufacture, and is extremely rigid and will stand substantial abuse in use.

The body If] may be reinforced at the bottom as by means of spaced wooden slats 39, 30, secured by nails 3|, 3| extending through the ends thereof, through the marginal edges of the panel lob, and into the plane of the side panels I3 and I4 (see Figures 3 and 5). Snugly received between the adjacent slats 30 may be an axle 32 which is similarly secured by means of nails 33, 33, received through spaced apertures 34 in the axle, the nails 33 being received through apertures in the marginal edges of the bottom panel I81) and extended into the planes of the side panels. Suitable wheels 32a, 32a are provided on ends of the axle extending freely at opposite sides of the body ID.

A strip of metal is formed substantially V- shaped to provide a foot or stop 35, rearwardly of the wheels, one end of the strip being inturned at 36 and secured to the rear panel 20, and. the other end being formed forwardly straight and secured across the reinforcing strips 30, 3|], as best shown in Figure 3. The foot 35 prevents rearward tilting of the cart on the wheels, the cart being balanced on the wheel assembly to prevent forward tilting in normal use. The angle of the forward face of the body It! is such as to engage flatly upon a supporting surface when the body is tilted forwardly, as indicated i'nwzzhai n-d'ottedv lines in Figure 2;

The handle member I2 is formed of strip metal to provide upwardly and rearwardly inclined; opposite side members lZa, I 2a, secured at. the lower ends thereof to the side panels l3 and I4, and a central cross-piece, indicated at 31 this cross-piece having suitable ha-nd grip mea-nsprovided thereon.

A screening or sifting device 38 is removabl yand laterally shiftably mounted at the top of the body; IE5... To this end, the device 38: comprises a rectangular frame 39thaving. a screen or mesh.

bottom 40, the frame being; normally non-tiltabl-y supported: on. the body H] by means of spaced rods 422;. 42: extending outwardly from one. sidethereof and received in spaced slots or notches 43-, 4am the upper edge of the side panel 14, and by' a single rod 44 extending. from the other side of the frame to be received. in: a similar slot or notch 45' in the. top edge of. the other side panel.

l3. Across. member 46-, connected between the ends of the rods.- 42, 42,. extended outwardly of the body l0, provides a hand grip by which the frame 38 may be laterally reciprocated relatively of the body H), for sifting: or mixing materials such as. soil, fertilizer, etcor for sifting coal ashes or the like, into the cart for any desired purpose. If desired on occasion, the frame 39 may be tilted to free the rods 42, 42 from the groove 43 thereof, to permit inverting of the frame while; pivoted on. the single. rod 44, as for dumping material fromv the screeningdevice into the cart.

The cart described aboveis adapted to be used for many purposes around the home or elsewhere, with or without the screening or sifting device 38- attached. The use and operation thereof is otherwise as previously described.

Modifications of the invention may be resortedv to.- without departing from' the spirit thereof or the scope. of the appended: claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle of the character described, comprising a body having opposite side, front, back and bottom panels, said opposite side panels being of wood or like material and having elongated slots on the inner faces thereof coextensive with and adjacent to the front and rear edges of the same, said front, rear and bottom panels being formed from one piece of sheet material, the opposite marginal edge portionsor the front and rear panels being received in the corresponding slots in said opposite side panels and the opposite marginal edge portions of the bottom panel overlying the bottom edges of the opposite side panels, means for securing said sheet material to the side panels, and wheel mounting means secured to the bottom of said body.

2} A vehicle of the character described, comprising a body having opposite side, front, back and bottom panels, said opposite side panels being of wood or like material and. having elongated slots on the inner faces thereof coextensive with and adjacent to the front and rear edges of the same, said front, rear and bottom panels being formed from one piece of sheet material, the opposite marginal edge: portions of the front and; rear panels being received in the corresponding; slotsin said opposite side panels and: the opposite marginal edge portions of the bottom panel overlying thebottom edgesof the opposite side panels, means for securing said sheet material to the side panels, wheelmounting. means secured to the bottom. of said body, said. securing means comprising. nails extending into the; edges of said side panels through said marginal edges of said sheet ma terial.

GEORGE-W. COAKLE'Y'.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this. patent:-

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Purdy' Oct. 4, 1817 961,609 Harris June 14, I910 1,293,330 Carroll" Feb. 4, 191-9 2,102,684 Dorward Dec. 21, 1937 2,249,019 Masters July 15, 1941* 2,274,048 Derma-n. Feb. 24, 1942 2,374,278 Fuerstenberg Apr. 24', 1945 

